Tuesday, 1 April 2014

The Pearl Savage
By Tamara Rose BlodgettI was really taken with the unique future world
presented in The Pearl Savage and for
other reasons I’ll mention, I would recommend reading this book.Princess Clara lives in a dome world in order
to survive a past earth disaster. The domes are maintained by steam machines
and Clara’s dome farms oysters and pearls for their food and wealth.

There’s nothing like an easily identifiable enemy
to rally the reader to the heroine’s cause.Clara’s mother, the Queen, is a cruel woman whose only grasp on daily
life is to keep a wine bottle in one hand and disperse drunken ‘discipline’
with the other, especially upon Clara.So I really feel for Clara who takes the option of not retaliating in
order to keep a few of her friends close to her and not wreak havoc upon their
lives. But it’s hard to deal with Queen Ada’s unrelenting viciousness.

As is common in royal families, Clara is to be
engaged to Prince Frederick who also turns out to be equally vicious as the
Queen; maybe worse since he’s sober.Clara finally agrees with her good friend Charles and maid that to save
her own life, she must breach the domes and venture out into the outer world.Where the savages are.

Clara has already seen two savages who have dared
to observe her from outside her personal quarters. She is even curiously
attracted to one of them.

This intriguing story then relates how Clara
bravely learns about the outer world of the so-called savages. She also has an
unusual connection with the savage clans in the romance department.

Clara I think represents the sacred feminine or
goddess principle.This is most clearly
shown in the scene where she is tested with some members of the savage clan to
determine who should be her mate/king. While the scene is somewhat basic, the
idea that the reproductive forces of a Select
female are held in such high honour, really highlight and promote the idea that
the goddess principle is sacred and of value. Whatever the weaknesses of this
book, I commend Blodgett.

I didn’t like the level of violence that Clara
endured as it seemed a bit much at times though I would also say this shows how
the goddess principle is currently under attack as well. Clara endured with
strength. I would have liked more description of what everyone looked
like.I found this an interesting
premise if somewhat simplistic execution. Overall I found the book entertaining
and it ends with a positive promise to be taken up in the next book, The Savage Blood (five books total in
the series).Favourite quote “Bravery
was a matter of containing your fear while throwing away caution.” (pp 225 of
337).